The Sun. — London, England, 1810-11-07 00:00:00

~-_. 9sc -- S;CILY. Mont -0 follOwing , Extraa of a Letter from Sicily , get, oos some curious particulars respecting the pre -- t S tate of that , country. It was written at Au ' by an English officer now • that place. A.O gusto is hUilt on the site of the ancient citadel • ron l egara ; the ancient city is supposes to tiaVe stood .! 01 c the' Pay, where are still ti be seen remnants a ntiquity. If is now a mis,:qablei. ill buiit, ill-. E" n v ,e'd dirty town. It is hol.vet . er toleribly extensive, z is built upon a good plan, all.the streets running toeach of her. Tire retrial katly strong Work 1: 1e4 the CaStle, dtf,;ndS the entrance, into the Is laud of Sicily, ..n which the town is situated, from e land. Towar.is the ezylilie ple..ce is -also well t eured both .hy nature. "and art. The harbour is v ' a ZrY exc e llen t, kfrid tie.lerled: The country this_Bay is very pretty,' but the roads.are •so lec iahly bad,. that ills scarcely possiole to go out hideof Lite ..v. Immediately north of the town, e have Mou'tt ALtria‘ in lull view, covered for a °n'iderahle distance 'trout its dater. with an unin terrupted street of snow, which gives it a 'rnos sin 7 t ira r . ap;.eaiance- The ,season here has been the ur st that leasleas'tver bten remembered. T; , e thun der sortns have bern drcadful, and th4.rnoun- Is cOustacily_ smoking ; so that she, enple ale " r Y apprdmnstve t:t* an eruption or ; 1 1).5.101(1u:die LLitlitr - of which they . in the highest „rte. S aott fter my arrival bete, I got' leave to go, to Y r acuse, wlocti distant..about 18 miles from us I . () f coesse saw all the liens, wish which. I atTlUse(lo God knows what form Dionysius' hail originally, but at present the extetior of tne cav,..rn rtsetnbles more the tar s 44 ' ass than that of a man, and I do not - think , it , ever have. nad any other appearance, as the Verier is as - per feet 16 if it was formed yesterday. ti t le present .entrance mast once have been eloped, lleter could nave been the dungeon it is re trireseoted to have been, for it is now nothing mole a very extensive cavern cut into the solid rock. ' -I. ' l that remains of the Ch;itnber of Dionysius, is a • 411 square hole in the rock, about So feet from th e ) , -ground, C...1t , into a sock at present perfe'ctly v a ' r Pendicular. I had the curiosity to go into it, 1 , (1 was hauled up by a rope which was lasteutd , at te top ut the rock. - I . did:. not much like .my airy • but accomplished soy object. While I was my pdrty made trial of the etfect of the `▪ avtritt could he-at the lowest whisper in every t ar t-.oi the' caveln generally very distinctly, and I t i f i v. no doubt, w hen the present entrance was en)— C , that every word that was uttered Inns' nave e ta heard in the recess above.. That part of the ru ck in which the chamber was situated,.or at least t entrance to il, must h 'ye bten hrown do w n by an and indeed at a distance from the i tte :iverit' kb to be seen part of a flight of steps cut Into s 'lid rock, which have ea silently been over tlijned by an earthquake. It is rtain'iy .toost 10 ';plar circumstance alit _lllo.gki the ancient city t v h i Syracuse .was bath op.:it the solid rock, . that is not the least vestige of the foundatiOn of 'louse to be tractd. 1-1.. d the city been built Pna earth this ought ;,a‘e happened, but one Wo uld have imaginea that rite ;loughs . cut for. ttle t 2 t hidatiOn h of the iio ses in the solid rock would • The have been effaced ; such however is the Id ' . ' il e remains of th Amphitheatre and. Theatre are nothing more ;han scats cut iato the solid rock, In first ail round, and in the second half round large pit. There is not the smallest vestige of any ii i ? n Perstruc, ur e . The catacombs are, most estr,aor b'ary Lxi:avati,,ns; thry.are salt . . to have been the u rial places of the city, but I cannot think it. I - think they' have teen places of residence., most It k elY (3f the original iiihanitants. I was a good deal 1 ,; a(1 8. 1 kd at for this opinion at Syracuse, but I after ard3 changed their opinions. I discovered another : C ol catacombs Linde- the present city of Syracuse, least none of the. Engttsh seemed to know of t heir ex i stence. H ere I f oun d a well with a fine aPrl ng,.and a regular flight of steps leading down it. lq other respets these catacombs were in their plan a 8 to tine large catacombs,- except that there ta no - appearance of Sarcophagi; which is the' S e in the larger excavations. Now pray', what use C ould- (lead' bodies have for a well wttli steps down My opinion is,' theiefore, that these excava ;lit"s were originally dwelling places, but were aftee t a rds used as 'depositaries for the dead, - for in all . 1 1) Pt'arattee they have certainly - at some period been tut 0 3 that use. If they were intended for burials , nieces, the ancient Sicilians must' lava been ,ex s'enaely fund of that kind of work, tor..the whole Of t he rt:ky ridge whiCh composes the Hybla Hills, s ' t 'd A bleb run•hetween Syracuse and Augusta, are, u l l of s h e e excavations. It wduld be en(!h-ss to I:l de scribe all tht antiquities of Syracuse, and,,except r Yclone, u ho is not a very cot reel author, I do not k • t . l l l l °lx who to leCominend you 'to fora description'of e place. One thing, bow( ver, I must mention, 11 . Ille centre of the present 'town; (the ancient Or -ligia), is site ancient temple oh Minerva, quite per . the The fine massiveluscan pthars still remain, an d intervals• between which have been filled up, : With . a new front 'stuck full of the 'statues of • cl i nts, it has been transformed into the Episcopal C hurch of the diocese, the Blessed Virgin now oc .4llPYing the altar originally dedicated -to the God ves' of Wisdom. What do you think of this by l a Y of a,change But I believe this is not the only a e where nearly the same superstitious ceremonies sa me be . en praettsetl at' different periods under the erne roof ; in other words- w here ancient temples e ve . been metamorphosed into Christian churches. 'laid at - Syracuse only three days, and was so un fortunate as to be obliged to leave it a day betete i th e celebrati on of the grand festival of Saint Lucia, • PatroneSs of the Town ; a young lady who was -ikover e d to be a Saint, as she was fighting Most ki u4 ibt for her siirginity,cwit h one Pascazzio, a Saracen wino put her-to death for not gratifying his wishes, C ep. TARLETON'S regiment, the 4 st Dragoons, s s t ° proceed trout -the Cape to India, and is to be p l 'eceeded by the gth Light Dragoons, Gen. Lord `u4storN's regiment. t2tr PL'POltr. XASTMINSTER MALL. Yesterday being the first day of Mieliztelmas Term, the LORD CHANCEL.WR, attended by the Judges, King's'Serjeants, and King's Counsel, went id state to Westminster Hall, end opened their re spective Courts. • COURT OF KING'S BENCH. The diferent 'keepers of convicts; at . Woolwich, Fort Cumberland, - and L'angstane Hat bout, gave in their respe6tive accounts oft heir seveKal pt isonrs. The Court tlien proceeded to hear Motions in justification of bail', with which they were occup'i'ed tiff nearly tour o'clock. At that hour the ATTO lINEy -Gal era I rose, and moved for a Criminal information against a • Mr. Jenkins, who•is hinter of a Journal published -in Wales, called " The Cambrian 'Gazette:" The Learnrd Genleman stated, that Ih;s application was made to his Lordship on behalf of a most reSpeaed and valued Prelate, the 'meant the Lord Bisluip of Derry, for One of the mostlmpUdetit, as well as one of the Most-scandakus and false slanders that at any itne disgraced the presS. Their Lordships, said the Attorney General, would recollect that some short . . time ago t here ,appeared in several newspapers _Para graphs, copied (and in the copying varied) from the Paper called ' The Cambrian Gazeite," to which he had just-altided, and which announced thq: t 1 4 , diAtinpishedTrclate hal been Gazeted as a bank- rapt. (Here the Learned Gentleman read the paragraph verbatim). It conveyediu direst and unequivocal terms; that the Bisliop of Derry had 'actually ken not only bankrupt in cuctunstatves, but that a cow. mission of bankrupt had actually been issued aga:,nst him, w hick was inserted in the Gazette. Fur my part " said the Attorney-General," when I reid it so strongly and so , roundly asserted, I really did be lieve that the circumstance so stated was an actual tact, till time and other eventi soon developed the contrary.. From whatever motive so foul . a aunt , ny, or so grotondless a libet;,C;old - be. ushered into public consideration, the Learned Prelate and all Ins friends are to - tally at a loss to account; but it was Trite, necessary that the Court should be put in. Possession of some fasts, which,. when re la4ed; 'would place that' Learned 'and Reverend Lord Most distinguished as a Man and 'as a Chris-' Oat), and convince the world' how gross and,ill plied was tre scandalous and libellous slander that attacked him. The LOrd Bishop of Derry, conti. nued the Attorney General, is no leSs celebtated, for the spiendf)6, of Ins appointinents; and the ex tent of, his v. ealth , than - he is hononrably distinguish.' eel for,his . bount, mmificer,ce, and ; and. io these endowthents of wind ; he adds another, that has m,,de i.im not only revered, but adored by all .4+o know bitu ; tf.r, unlike numbers who abound in wealth and acquigitions; the Bishop of Derry,with a , praise-worthy desire to. encourage pnceful and industrious pursuits,to assist the artisan and manufac turer„ excite by such encouragement laud, able and i'.i:tustrious habits among the Mechanic and manufacturing inhabitants of his diocese, most. beneficenily has advanced out of his princely .re venues several sums of . money to • the descrying ,and mg.-Mous, to enable them. to carry on their respective pursuits with advantage, to themselves and to their country. In. doing . this, he n'' - ver exacted as much as, :interest • from one of them, the interest only, which, he sought, being the gratification of seeing them rendered happy and . useful by his efforts. This was his sole object ; ,for, so far fiom even haying interest .or advantage* view, he really advanced these monies under an 'al- MoSt certain risk of loss, When this was considered,. it would be found that the libel was greatly aggra." %rated by the falsity and wickedness of it ; and he entertained no doubt but that the Court grant the rule. He observed that this slander was nut confined to the Xournal where it first appearq, but was copied, with, some additions and,alteratnanS, into several,otoers, which he enumerated, respeSting' Which his friend Mr. Gairow had- instructions to make similar applications. . Lord EI4ENDP ROUGH observed, that the libel con-,' tained matter sufficiently degrading to make it an ob- Jett of public prosecution, and in the absence of Mr. Garrow (who is indisposed), his - Lordship said that fe would take his mctions from, any other Gentle- Ilan. • • Mr. IiAMPIEIi then moved fora similar rule upon he sane aferclaritts. against the Proprietor of an Even ng Pver.—,The other motions were deterred- Rules, Nisi,7granted. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. The Judge; of this Court took trwir seats with the usual formality. IlitpDON V. PARRY. Mr. Serjean( SHEPHERD 'IDOVrd for a' rule • to shew cause why the nonsuit in this case should not be set aside, and a new trial granted 4 ---It was an atilion on a polioy of insurance on dollars, shipped on board the Reck 'sloop of war.' The sloop:, was captured after a gallant defence, hi which t.er Cap ..tain, Lieutenant Lawrence, was killed. The tlion was brought' to recover the dollars. of . the Under writers, and the bi.l of lading was produced, to pit.i'*e" that they were in the possession• Of. Capt:tin Law rence ; but it was not .allowed by the .Learned Judge to be evidence of the dollars. being on boar& The plaintiff was of course nonsuited. , It was contended in supprt of the present 'Liao. tion, that the bill of lading was admissible evidence. • The Learned Serjeant said, in a cage where, the owner of land had • produced his steward's book-tn . describe the rents, the book had been received as. evidence, though the steward was dead, because it •was not supposed he would have made etlihrSi charging himself With money, utile4s he had receiv ed it. The case was the same with Lieut. Law rence : that gallant officer being dead, his bill of lad ing ought to be admitted in the same manner as the book of the steward of a manor. - Sir J'AS. MANSFIELD.--1 think these is some clif-. ference between these cases. - Supposing'the bill of. lading proved that theSe,.goods were put on hoard, still they might have been t - ii;:en out again. There is, however, another case long establiiiied in the . . Cnnrt of Excheqr.er, that the eti!tsil a mails by 6 clergyman in favour of himself, is evidence. I should like to have the point considered - . It is known t fie Cour(of ...V.xch - egae.r; • that the . parson entering tithes which lipd been in' fat;otir of his ptelecessors,' is evidence.—Take a rule toaliexir cause: SCOTT V. GILMAN. Ttuis was an application to set aside the non-suit, and enter a verdict for the plaintit, It was an tie-, ti a on a bill of exchange fur ten It air= },cared that the bill had been given in satisirction of spirituous liquors delivered, and money lent. Mr. Serjeaut Best' contended. at the trial that the action could not be 'sustained. The act of the 24th of George the Second had precluded any penon from supporting an action tOr spirituous liquors delivered in small .quantitks, and the 'bill being tur spirits it was an:illegal transaction. The objection was fatal, and llte plaintiff was non suited.' It was now contended that part of the plaintiff 's demand being for money lent when he received tbe bill, a legal conqideration was given in part, and therefore it was admissible. Sir JAMES MANSFIELD--Any illegal consideration attached tp .the• bill must atfed thy; wholeinstrp ment, and i do not think, you can recover in the action.—Rule refused. PORTUGAL. The following is the cops , ' of , a letter from a dis tingoistied Field Officer in Lord Wellington's army, (viitio commands the Lush anian. Legion 'of Poi tu- guese i i roops), to leis friLnd Lisburn iIIpALDEIRA, OCT. to.—The next morning_ (2710, just as day began to dawn, the French ad vanced in column :o -attack the left and centre of our line ; our division under General Leith was rnoyed.on to support those points ; and I can assure you that no flriiish soldiers could advance with inure eagerness, or . more alacrity than my fellows did, and indeed the whole of the Portuguese army. As a French column. was advancing up the hill, that part of the division to which the Legion belonged .w +s brought up to line the heights, and two or th►ee pieces of cannon immedia:ely opened on them, and did great 'execution; utliuckily for the laurels we iniended gaining, the French changed thOr plan,. . and went Off room to their left, and lett us quiet spedators of a most beautiful sight. Tl\e.point !hey, attacked - was 'very Weak, and the British and.Por tilguese-regitneut., quite overpowered, were slowly ffghting all the way. The French bad ac wally gained the height,. when the three British, re giments of our division, under Gen. Leith, arrived to support the part of the line, immediately charged, and drove the enemy ; bAore then) to. alt direot:ons; it was a most gallant thing, and done without Much loss on our side, while tht Freuch, in their reifeat, were knocked down as thick as possible; our guns did great.execution. 'I , was Fit;ld Officer of the day, and in posting and visiting my pique's, I found the. field flterally, strewed with their dead, all of , whom the peasants and .soklitirs had stripped, and enriched : themselves very much with their booty. On the left - , where Lord Wellington. was, the slaughter was. immense. The French advanced very gallantly, and, were repelsed ',every where. The 52,1 and,Gad re giMents distinguished themselves very much, and you will he . glad .to hear that the Portuguese vied, with, the Briijsh in spirit and bravery. Every re giment that was eng3ged behaved so as to merit the praise of Lord Wellington:and Gener Beresford,. who were, spectators of the. conflict. The. French are said 1 . 0 have lost ten thousand men, anti I don& think ,it exaggerated. .Were‘it not ,for the hopes of ow Very soon again having an opportunity of fight ing them, I should die in despair,s4t not.having had' a part .in that gallant. action,; however,' there were so. many in the. same situation, that 1. comfort my self wi:h thinking that our turn will couie Lord Wellington had 30 ; 000 men who never fired a shot that day. However, I must tell you, that we. had a few shell and shot fired at us ; and. I assure youit had not . the least effect on the-nerves of our heroes. The Portuguese aftillery did wonders. The battery attached to - our part. of the' position com pletely silenced the one opposed to it, destroyed their guns, and blew up a nimbi il. They lust only one, with a couple of mules and horses. " 1 bad a good deal of conversation with a French Major of Brigade, who was taken prisoner after be wounded, and who spoke most handsomely of the British, as one of our Serjeants saved his life from the bayonet of a Portuguese, who was in the act of stabbing him while lyingou the ground. He tlik the behaViour of the Portuguese troops had astonished them all, 2S their spies had made theM form, a 'different opinion of them, assuring' them that they would net fight - against the French. 'One French Colonel, who was oppOSed to "a. Portuguese regiment, before the firing on eitlier side comment ed:, called out t° his men 'not to fire on their friends, the Portuguese, and • invited .them to lay down their `heir arrgs. He waSansWered . by a volley. We; all . expetted the attack to.be renewed that right, or at least nekt`marning, but we were deceived. There was little firing 'alter the . 27th, and that_ mostly With cannon. Every soldier lay down at night with arms under his great. Oar; and ready' to start up in hiS place. Our position was,not very agreeable, 'on the top of:a very high hill; rocky, without water nearer , than a league .:, but oar - men Were itt, the highest spirits, and 'only' hoped that. !hose bucks wo uld try again to dribe us away. At abuut twelve at 'night we received orders to he in readiness to march at a moment's warning, as every one: expe4t ed 'to attack .the enemy ; instead 'of that, We were • obliged to set otrfor Coimbra as fast as possible, - as the French in 'the night had withdrawn all their I..rc'es, and ante marching to turn our kft. A flight march is almost always a confused, piece. of business e but,. here the immense quantity' of .artil lery and hOrses, the cars 'conveying the: Vyoutided, both French and British, made it .dotibly so, and p.m all in a rage who did oat - know the 'reason of our r.: tiring. .We only. just saved ourselves, for the . French entered Coimbra a very short time after we passed. . We hate had several sharp skirmishes between our rear and their advanced guards, \ all to our advantage'. A more melancholy sight I never saw in my life than Coimbra exbibited the . day be- , rore,the Vietich entered. t Weht `to S' , o • faa mily I .hwe 'often mentioned to y-ou,/cf live fine girlS, father, mother, &c. all had fled. on toot, lele log their house In the greatest corif:'sion, and had set off for Lisoon, a disiance of ..bove I vo rufles... " Every soul in Coimbra,' one of t! , e'llr:zest• - and most populous cities in • Poringal, had ako leave ing it literally i descrf, and a • more hearf• rending 'sight you cannot fan' y. The order ot the R , was pc:,iqve for all : to leave their houses, . take otf all their goodti, and leave nothing for he enemy .—+ The Lisbon road was blocked up . with i.vaggons i cmts, horses, bullocks, tic. mothers' carrying their intahts, young girls sepante t in_ the croud from their. and every ihing in ccOusion. In a forage-car t; of artillery, too ot. the rret,lie,t nuns of one of ,the convents of Coimbra, were -happ‘' to get a place to convey them to Lisbon.' Fur th-se last ten days our m3reh has continued ..withp.rt a halt. We rested, at - night' under the canopy of heaven, Wherever we - could get •water. Moue of us cave entered a house, or had a stitch of .clot lies off, s ince the isth of last month, until. lass- night, when our Weather, which had hitherto been very favuotable, broke up, and ,f kar.l4lle : rairr has , commeked. We were ordered into the village close to our position, which extendS from Villa :Franca to Torres _V;edras... We are at 'ltioaldeira, _and;the n._'ighboiring little Yillaries—L , )rd Wellington and :General Berevord at rt,ida ; G•dneral' Hill at Alhatidra ; and Sir R. Spencer at Soho. The French have followed us very • ciosely. They were at Caldas yes!erday. A • very few clays will bring about n vtieral action. I assure you no one bete entertains a doubt of the result." , . TlT,house of Potisonby,Tottenh3n), Etl. of York Place, Clifton, has been robbed, during his absence at Weymouth, of &latherless articles o! consiCter,.bkt value. ivlr. Tottenham intrusted the care of his -house, during his absence, to his house-maid, who admitted . (as an , inmate) a male cotlrpaniorr, %vim got' possession of Mr. Tottenham's I:es by breal;.= ing open his desk, and by" which {means the viila.n had every thing at his mercy ; but what is very e% . . traordinary, he took do one article , of plate, throcgh 'the dread, as is supposed, of discovery. • A is offered for his apprehension, giving his name ard. a description of, his person, as communicated . by the unfortunate girl he seduced. . On Sunday -the 28th ult. or rather early ctn Monday morning, a melancholy occiirrence tool( place in Cork. COWEN GAVIN, E3q. Surveyor of . . Excise; was induced to ,accolivany Iwo ft itqlds to a house situated at the back of the Old Barracks, pear the south suburbs, and held by a innn of the name of John Salmon, for tne reception of per sons who go there accompanied by females of - the Cyprian order ; wh,±re; having dernandedentrance, and being refused from the inside, they, perhaps in some degree elevated with liquor,. persevered a little too perttnacibusly; when Sidman, the proprietor, and a man of they name of W4,jiam Hatris, his' father-in,law, opened the.door, and the latter dis charged the "contents . of. short musket into the bosom of,Mr. Gavin, of which he immediately ex• • 'Area. Salinon . and Harris Were IfAged in Bride well, The latter, it seems, conGsseS•that it Was he who discharged the fatal piece. A CVnmer's Inquest was hell On the body; Wierst i afier a 10: ,, g consultiv. Cron, the Jury brought In a verdict a---Dted in con sequence of a . gun-Shot wound horn a On Oisebirg ' ed by the hand of Hatris, aided and assisted by John Salonon. • 03:MoildaY evening a young man; i:enteelly dress- . - ed, went to the White- Hart ton, in Windsor, in a post-chaise, and stopt there. Yesterday mornu he, walked - about the to•Nii of Windsor. About twelve o'clock he'went to the house of the Duke of Cambridge;' and inquired for his Royal HighoesS. The servant infornted - hitn his Royal Highness kept his room since the death of the Princess Amelia, but said he would deliver any message, and shev.ed hiin into a parlour. 'He said be was come for tie King's charger, and most have the large - sword, and raved amazingly. At this instant Generals Wynyard and Daken, Who were in the i•ouse, came up, and the former recognized the young man to be a relative of Lord Poitsmouth, and knew him to be deranged ; in consequence of which he was placed udder the charge of Dourest and Edwards,the Police Offiicers. An Inquisition was taken yesterday, at the Three Compasses,..Chclsea, on. the body 'or Maria HobbS,„ who poisoned, herself. The deceased was a respect able young woman, who resided at the house of Mr. Colville, nurseryman, in the King's-road. The no tice of passengers was attracted by her "being taken ill in the street, and she was conveyed to the Com- . passes. She died in a short time atter ;—but shit previously stated, that she was pregnant by adra goon belonging to the tuth regiment, and his un kindness towards het had induced her to take three pennyworth of arsenic. VerdiO, Insanity. _ On Sunday morning, the 26th August, a duel was fought near Camp Boulogne, in the Island of Guade loupe, between. Mr. Raines; a Lieutehant in the 8113 West Indio Regiment, and Mr.Fetinell,.an E;:sign,in the same corps. The parties .were only eight pace 4 asunder, and Mr. Fennel wounded Mr. Ralles..; o,c ball entered Mr. Raines's hip;a: d went through at the other side ; passing.very . -near ,to the spirial-mer row.. On the Bib September, Mr. Raines was quite out of danger, 'and able to walk about. A CERTAIN CURE FOR CORNS..—S. ak them and: pare them, then rub them, well with chalk. This is recommended by a Lady, who has en f tirely re moved them 6y the above simple method: • CoRN-LXCHANGr, Nov. 7.—The market this day ha 4 tew fresh arrivals of Wheat, but tolerable cisian tities on hand, and .sales in general tr.aintain I ,lst priceS ; B3rley at_ the late ; Malt at less ; White Pease a falling article; Grey, and Beans she, two kinds neatly at lest prices A . nits are i n middling suliply, and this trade quotO at Effie va riation ; • 'Flour as our last. • , . . Wheat - 7.,:.s a, 34s A 09 'rid( Beans .. -46 s a S'es Fine ditto - - LOS 3 1049 Oats - ... z4s 27s a ,32a Rye (new) - - 36 s a 42s Poland ditto -, 34s a ::74 [Arley - . ~ 3,s a. 46i Potatce ditto -, os a- s Malt - - izs a 7Ss Rape, Seed . - 461 a ill white Pease - 6,5 a 66s Fine Flour - 855 a r s Grey ditto -46 s a szi Seconds - . • Sas a Sys Heaps - • - sas,a 56s RR or ° it) e: 4l ,0 1, the ite j it o Yes' oef' 111 ~;;nd C CII C 1 ~ ;I I" i eV ° , e a 1) • 1, ,4 111'; - 0111,, 0 16,